


Something To Remember Yourself By

by thescuttlebugg



Series: Reinforcements Needed; Previous Superhero Experience Preferred [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Backstory, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, F/M, On-Again/Off-Again Relationship, Previous Superhero Incarnations, Secret Identities, The Proper Care And Keeping Of Chat Noirs, temporary memory loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 21:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9402902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescuttlebugg/pseuds/thescuttlebugg
Summary: They were Ladybug and Chat Noir from sixteen to eighteen and fourteen to sixteen, give or take. Nathalie remembers better than Theo. Maybe because she was the older one; maybe because she was the one who cast that last Miraculous Ladybug before taking her earrings out. And she had the good luck, of course.Plus he took a lot more hits to the head than she ever did.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to clean up some of the [original meta](http://thescuttlebugg.tumblr.com/tagged/nathaliebug-and-theo-noir/chrono) this AU was based on, both as a minor relaxing project for myself and to provide “Five Minutes” with some tidier and more easily-accessible backstory. This particular bit provides (at least some of) the backstory of Nathalie and Theo’s relationship, and style-wise is a bit different than the rest of the series.

They were Ladybug and Chat Noir from sixteen to eighteen and fourteen to sixteen, give or take. Nathalie remembers better than Theo. Maybe because she was the older one; maybe because she was the one who cast that last Miraculous Ladybug before taking her earrings out. And she had the good luck, of course. 

Plus he took a lot more hits to the head than she ever did. 

Sometimes Theo forgets that part of their lives altogether. Just for flashes–brief, brief seconds–but Nathalie can never decide if she should remind him or not. So far she hasn’t had to, but . . . 

“So far”. 

She stepped back further than she should’ve when she realized that, maybe, but she doesn’t know how to handle those brief seconds when he looks at her and she can _see_ him wondering _“why do I love her, anyway?”_

Still. Maybe Copycat wouldn’t have happened if she’d been able to bear those moments a little better. If she hadn’t made herself cold to him over those moments. If she hadn’t run off to fight the good fight again, as if it was even still their fight anymore; if she’d just quit and gotten a new job when she’d realized about Gabriel, if . . . 

Except someday Theo might forget for good. Someday he might look at her and _ask_ her: “why do I love you, anyway?” 

And what will she be, if Theo’s forgotten her? 

Nathalie and Theo didn’t have a Hawk Moth when they wore the earrings and ring–the threat was different, then–but it was still just Ladybug and Chat Noir. Fu talked to them a little, but only a little, and mostly just to Nathalie. Tikki and Plagg had told them not to reveal their identities, except Theo was a little more intense than anybody had been prepared for and he’d blurted his out to Nathalie just about immediately, because, “You’re _Ladybug_! You’re my partner and my perfect match and we’re going to be perfect _together_ , I mean, yeah, it’s a secret from _other_ people but obviously we’re gonna tell each _other_ \--” 

Nathalie had refused to tell him hers. They weren’t _supposed_ to tell each other, and now he’d put himself and his family and friends in danger, and didn’t he _think_ , didn’t he _care_ , didn’t he–

“What family?” Theo had asked, giving her a weird, cracked grin. “What _friends_?” 

“. . . oh, you stupid cat,” Nathalie had said, her fingers tightening around the yo-yo she’d still had no idea how to use. 

She hadn’t told him, still. She _had_ started keeping a list, though: things that Chat Noir _(she’d never called him Theo, not even in her head; she would have done anything she could not to betray the stupid, foolish trust he’d placed in her)_ liked or worried over or cared about or wanted to do. Once a month, she’d go over the list and pick something out from it, and she’d take care of that thing, or at least do something _for_ that thing. She would not tell him about that, either. 

She’d known his name, and she’d known the things on her list. She hadn’t known where he’d slept, or gone to school, or what he’d done out of the catsuit. She’d known his mood by the lay of his ears and the flick of his tail and the way his mouth had curved just so. She’d known he smoked, because he smelled like it, and she’d known he loved her, because he was so, _so_ obvious about it. 

She’d known he wanted to know her name, and she’d known he’d do anything to earn it from her. She’d known he was impulsive, and greedy, and always wanted what he didn’t have and could never stick with one thing or make one solid decision and stick to _it_. 

Except for her. 

God, he’d stuck with her through _everything_ , hadn’t he. 

And then they’d won, and she’d cast that last Miraculous Cure, and . . . and then she’d told him her name. 

He’d lit up. He’d _lit up_. 

And a year later, he’d looked at her like he didn’t know where they even knew each other from. 

Nathalie knows if she doesn’t remind him, he’s likelier to forget. Nathalie knows he’d remember if she _did_ remind him. Nathalie just can’t stand doing the reminding. Can’t stand the idea that he could just . . . _lose_ them. 

She still hasn’t had to, yet. He’s still always remembered, even when he’s showed up to their monthly brunch looking vaguely puzzled or like he wasn’t sure why he was there, who she even was, what he was doing–he’s still always remembered, when it came to it. He’s still always lit up the same way at the sight of her when the memory came back to him. 

So once a month, every month, they eat brunch together in the same little cafe they used to end every patrol on the roof of and Theo tells Nathalie about this month’s job and Nathalie reminds Theo that she exists and he loves her, or that she existed once and he loved her once. She’s not sure anymore. 

She should’ve left Paris weeks ago, she thinks sometimes. Months ago. Years. 

Maybe she would’ve, if Hawk Moth hadn’t happened. If she hadn’t figured out Gabriel. 

If she hadn’t noticed Adrien start wearing Theo’s ring, and heard Plagg’s long-forgotten voice drifting out from behind his locked bedroom door. 

If Theo hadn’t kept coming every month, and kept lighting up at the sight of her.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://thescuttlebugg.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
